Wizard's First Rule/Chapter 23

Richard and Kahlan are led to the village of the Mud People, where they met the Mud People elders. They thought that Richard is one of their spirit ancestors who brought the rain to them. Instead of using this misunderstanding to call a Gathering, Richard told the mud people he was not the spirit they think he was. After the elders refused to call a gathering for him, Richard made his case to the Bird Man.

The Bird Man explained to Richard that he could only call a gathering, if he were one of the Mud People, but he could only become one in doing a good deed toward the Mud People without any promise of aid from them. Richard then decided to teach the Mud People how to make better roofs in hopes of gaining their favor.

"He is an impatient man, is he not?" - "I have told him so myself. He denies it." - The Bird Man and Kahlan about Richard.

"If you were to first do something that helped our people, something that benefited them, with no advantage to you, proved you were a man of good intentions toward us, doing so without promise of aid for your help, and the elders wished it, I could." - The Bird Man